You know that greeting center at your local park, with the lame green placards and the sad row of vending machines? Well the Ruth Lilly Visitors Pavilion at the 100 Acres Art & Nature Park is the beastmode version.

The pavilion, described as a meditation on the convergence of building, land, and art, is actually designed to exist within the elements, not keep them out. Its water comes from an on-site well, and its heating and cooling are provided by a geothermal system. Floods pass under and around its foundation, and its roof lets rain and sun into the structure. Which will seem like a great idea until Mrs. Reynolds' third grade field trip gets caught in a storm while waiting for their bus. [Arch Daily]